NFA's Board of Directors elects Christopher Hehmeyer to serve as Chairman:
At a critical moment in history, well-known industry participant Chris Hehmeyer named chairman of the futures industry self-regulatory association

February 22, Chicago - The Board of Directors of National Futures Association (NFA) has elected Christopher K. Hehmeyer, Non-Executive Chairman at Penson Futures, to serve a one-year term as Chairman. The Board also elected Paul J. Georgy, President of Allendale, Inc., to serve as Vice Chairman.

Susan M. Phillips, Former Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and former dean of the School of Business at George Washington University.

The Board also elected the following individuals to serve one-year terms on NFA's Executive Committee:

Bruce L. Cleland, Campbell & Company, Inc.;

George E. Crapple, Millburn Ridgefield Corp.;

Michael C. Dawley, Goldman Sachs & Co.;

Paul J. Georgy, Allendale, Inc.;

David S. Goone, InterContinental Exchange, Inc.;

Douglas E. Harris, Promontory Financial Group LLC;

Charles P. Nastro;

Todd E. Petzel, Offit Capital Advisors LLC;

Susan M. Phillips, Former Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and former dean of the School of Business at George Washington University;

John F. Sandner, CME Group Inc.

Mr. Hehmeyer also serves on the Executive Committee and NFA's President Daniel Roth serves as an ex officio non-voting member of the Committee.
The following individuals were elected by their membership categories to serve two-year terms on the Board of Directors:

March 7, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred FIN FX LLC (FIN FX) from NFA membership and its principal, Leon L. Wolmarans. FIN FX was a Commodity Trading Advisor in Carrolton, Texas and NFA Member firm since December 2007. The Decision, issued by an NFA Hearing Panel, is based on an NFA Complaint filed in August 2011 and a settlement offer submitted by FIN FX and Wolmarans.

The Complaint charged that FIN FX and Wolmarans failed to promptly and fully cooperate with NFA in its investigation of FIN FX's business, used false and misleading promotional material, and posted trading results on FIN FX's website for which they could not provide support.

In April 2011, NFA issued a Member Responsibility Action (MRA) which suspended FIN FX and Wolmarans from NFA membership because the firm attempted to solicit customers with false and misleading information, including deceptive performance claims on FIN FX's website. Additionally, FIN FX and Wolmarans provided misleading information to NFA and failed to cooperate with NFA in its examination of the firm by failing to provide information and produce records requested by NFA. See previous press release.

March 2, 2012, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has ordered FX Currency Traders, Inc., a former forex firm and introducing broker (IB) located in Lake Mary, Florida, not to reapply for NFA membership or act as a principal of an NFA Member. In addition, NFA has ordered the firm's principal and sole owner, Jacob N. Martinez (Martinez), not to reapply for NFA membership for a period of three years and to pay a $150,000 fine to NFA in the event he reapplies for NFA membership after the three-year period expires. The Decision, issued by an NFA Hearing Panel, is based on an NFA Complaint filed in October 2011 and a settlement offer submitted by FX Currency Traders and Martinez.

The Complaint alleged that FX Currency Traders conducted business with a non-NFA Member, Market Traders Institute, which was required to be registered as an IB with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) but was not. The Complaint also alleged FX Currency Traders failed to carry out its supervisory duties to ensure that Market Traders Institute did not use misleading and deceptive promotional material to generate customer leads. The Complaint charged Martinez with failing to adequately supervise FX Currency Traders' operations by, among other things, allowing FX Currency Traders to engage in impermissible business activity with Market Traders Institute and manipulating FX Currency Traders' financial books and records to make it appear as though the firm was complying with its minimum capital requirement.
The complete text of the Complaint and Decision is available on NFA's website (www.nfa.futures.org).

February 27, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) announced today that it has taken an emergency enforcement action against J Hansen Investments LLC (JHI) and its principal, Jonathan Hansen (Hansen). J Hansen Investments is an NFA Member commodity pool operator located in Houston, Texas and Hansen is also an NFA Associate.
NFA has taken the Member Responsibility Action (MRA) and Associate Responsibility Action (ARA) because JHI and Hansen failed to cooperate with NFA's examination of the firm. NFA commenced an unannounced examination of JHI after the firm filed its annual questionnaire with NFA which indicated that the firm was operating a commodity pool even though JHI had not listed any commodity pools with NFA, had never filed a disclosure document with NFA and does not have any Commodity Futures Trading Commission exemptions listed with NFA. Since JHI and Hansen have failed to cooperate with NFA, NFA is unable to determine definitively the source of funds in the customer trading accounts and pool, the source of funds in the trading accounts in Hansen's and JHI's names, respectively, where the customer trading accounts and pool are held, or how many commodity pool participants might exist.

Effective immediately, JHI and Hansen are suspended from NFA membership and associate membership. In addition, they are prohibited from placing trades in any accounts and from distributing or transferring any customer funds.